


D:BH Imagines

by 50s_housewife_with_a_dark_secret



Series: Detroit: Become Human Fics and Imagines [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Android Dehumanization (Detroit: Become Human), Bad Decisions, Character Development, Decisions, Declarations Of Love, Dehumanization, Denial, Denial of Feelings, Detectives, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Deviant Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Difficult Decisions, Dogs, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Domestic Violence, Dorks, Dorks in Love, Drabble, Drabble Collection, Drinking, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, Drugs, Exactly What It Says on the Tin, F/M, Financial Issues, Gen, How Do I Tag, I Don't Even Know, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Sorry, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Torture, Laughter, Lovey-Dovey, Multi, Near Future, Nerdiness, Nervousness, Nobody is Dead, Not Beta Read, One Shot, Original Character(s), Other, Past Relationship(s), Pre-Relationship, Presumed Dead, Reader-Insert, Rebellion, Rebels, Rebirth, Rebuilding, Recreational Drug Use, References to Depression, References to Drugs, Reflection, Refugees, Rehabilitation, Relationship(s), Rescue, Rescue Missions, Research, Resurrection, Reunions, Secret Relationship, Self-Reflection, Some Humor, Some Plot, Squabbling, Unhealthy Relationships, Wheelchairs, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-13
Updated: 2018-09-26
Packaged: 2019-07-11 18:42:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15978176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/50s_housewife_with_a_dark_secret/pseuds/50s_housewife_with_a_dark_secret
Summary: This is for my own fun and the reader is an idealized version of me a.k.a. a complete Mary Sue, that said I think my characterization is very on point and it's a lot of fun. If you don't judge me for writing this I won't judge you for reading it.





	1. Thanks (Hank & Connor & Reader & Chloe; Chloe/Connor)

Connor was living with Hank until he saved up for his own place. Chloe moved in not long after. They weren’t even really in a relationship yet, but she had nowhere better to go once she’d managed to get away from Kamski. You and Hank were sitting on the couch on either side of the cuddling couple, watching TV play in the background. Connor was braiding Chloe’s hair, or at least giving it a decent effort considering he was sitting next to her which was an awkward position for braiding. She rested against him. It was nice. You and Hank were quietly competing for Sumo’s attention. Hank was winning, though he didn’t even give a single smug look to acknowledge the silent competition. 

“Are you two even official yet?” Hank asked the two.

“Official what?” Connor asked, but his smile said he knew exactly what Hank was talking about. 

Chloe’s smirk confirmed this further. 

“As in...you know what, never mind none of my business.”

“ _ You _ should know though” You chimed in “Even if you don’t tell us you should at least communicate.” 

“Yeah yeah” Chloe waved you off. 

Conner had been cooking lately. Or attempting to. You weren’t particularly picky but his attempts at food were pretty charred. Still, it was sort of nice that he’d made food for you so you managed to finish the plate and take home the leftovers pushed towards you in a little tupperware container. You hugged them goodbye. 

“Love you guys.” You said as you left. 

“Thanks” Connor responded as Hank said “Your mistake.”

Chloe laughed awkwardly but seemed generally happy.

 


	2. Laughs Nervously  (Thanks Pt. Two: Reader & Chloe discuss Chloe/Connor feelings)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Btw if anyone's interested here's where I'm getting a lot of my ideas from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/291678513363287131/

"So" You smiled at Chloe. She'd come over to watch your favorite tv shows and chat with you. "How are things with Connor?"

She laughed in that happy/nervous/awkward way that you'd learned meant something good was happening and she wasn't really sure how to respond to it. 

"Well?" You pressed.

"We were interfacing the other day and...and he put his forehead kind of against mine? Like, it was sort of awkward and we bumped into each-other at first and...it was nice."

"So you're together now? Officially?"

"I mean not yet but--" 

You rolled backwards on the couch groaned into a pillow in vicarious frustration and she laughed "no no let me finish talking."

You sat up and looked at her skeptically.

"I'm gonna...I'm gonna ask him out. Like on a date."

"Dude yes!" You said, offering a fist-bump. Chloe, rather than accepting or ignoring it outright, opted to smack you in the face with a pillow. 

"Hey C'mon!" you said, already returning the hit with your own pillow "What is this a highschool sleepover?"

"It's been fourteen years since my last reboot! That is  _exactly_  highschool age!" Chloe countered. She had a weird sense of humor but it was actually kind of funny once you got used to it. 

Once the pillow fight had subsided you both sighed and sat back on the couch. You flopped down so that your head was hanging off the seat and your feet were pointed to the ceiling. "I platonically love you, bro." You announced.

She laughed but said "I plantonically love you, bro, too." She laughed again "You're so weird." 

"Thanks." You grinned. 

Chloe gave you a look that said "I am laughing relentlessly at you in my head but am _juuuust_ too polite to do so out-loud." 


	3. I'm Sorry (Kara/Reader)

"Hey. It's gonna be okay." You pulled Kara into a hug and kissed her forehead. "They're gonna find her, and I'm gonna be right here with you the whole time. I love you." "I'm sorry." Kara said, tears running down her face. "I only turned my back for a minute. I thought-" "They're gonna find her." You insisted. You weren't really sure if you believed it but you didn't have it in you to say anything else. Your daughter. Alice. Your little girl. She had to be okay. She _had_ to. She was one year old today. You couldn't imagine life without her anymore. You weren't even sure what you had been doing with yourself before you met Kara and Alice. Sure, you had your goals, your dreams, your friendships but...this was your  _family_. Kara was the love of your life and Alice was as much your daughter as if you had given birth to her yourself. They were _everything_ to you. And now Alice was missing. You didn't trust these cops. Especially not to bring Alice back in one piece. Maybe literally. Even now, after everything that had happened, lots of humans still hated androids. Maybe more than they did before. You hoped, grimly, that your own involvement in the case might sway the police to put more care into their actions. They had a human to answer to if they slacked off or hurt Alice and as ugly as it was, that might actually sway them a little. You held Kara in your arms. They were too thin around hers. You felt like a parasite clinging to her for one awful second, and then she leaned into you and you realized that both of you were just terrified. You stared at her temple, both of you waiting for the police to call. Hoping for and fearing it in equal parts. Kara shivered and you reflexively did the same. 

She sat up suddenly. The call was coming. "Hello?" She answered. She turned to you "It's them" she mouthed. 

"Oh my god." Kara put a hand over her heart. "Where is she. Yes of course, we'll be right there. Who...who is it?...Wait...what? And how does he refer to himself? Does...does he talk in the third person?" She waited a beat while whoever was on the other end of the call answered. "Oh my god I know who it is. I can calm him down. I don't know what this is about exactly but I don't think he meant any harm... Yes well...we'll see. Right now I just want to focus on getting my daughter home safe...Okay...Okay thank you." 

The call ended and Kara turned to you. "The police are sending a car to pick us up. It'll be here in ten minutes. They've found the kidnapper...I think I know him." 

"Who is it?"

"His name is Ralph and...I don't know what this is about but...he's...he's not so much malicious as he is...disturbed, but...he could still be dangerous, (Y/N)."

You held her hand in yours and gave her a comforting squeeze. "I'm sure it'll be okay." You said, not at all sure. 

"I can't believe this is happening." Kara said.

The car pulled up after what felt like the birth and death of several centuries. You got in and slammed the doors behind you, as though that would somehow speed things up. The car took off at a quicker pace than most, and the siren wailed. It made everything feel more immediate. Realer. It struck you that this was your life. It felt distant still but it was coming closer and closer. Your daughter was kidnapped. Alice had been kidnapped by someone Kara _knew_. You shuddered involuntarily and, still wrapped in eachothers arms as you were, Kara felt it. She stroked your head gently, either to comfort herself or you. Probably both. She was the best mother in the world and she was probably blaming herself for this. She probably thought you were too, on some level. You weren't. You were thinking about how you had been at work and if you had just been at home with your family this would never have happened.

A uniformed man with a grim face handed Kara a walkie. "He'll only talk to you." Kara nodded and pressed down on the talk button. 

"Hey, Ralph, is that you?" She said nervously. 

"Kara?" A voice crunched over the speakers like Granola. "Kara needs to be careful. There are bad people here. Humans want to hurt Ralph. He is protecting the little girl but there is only one Ralph and many humans." 

"It's okay Ralph" Kara smiled in a bizarre combination of terror and relief "I'm here. Nobody wants to hurt you or Alice, we just want to make sure she's okay. It scared us when we didn't know where she went."

"Apologies!" The voice in the speakers sounded surprisingly earnest "Ralph didn't mean to upset anyone. Ralph only wanted to have a surprise party for the little girl. It is a big day. Oh yes, a very big day."

"It's her birthday." Kara agreed, ignoring the fact that birthday might be the wrong word. You felt sick. How did this man know your daughter's birthday? Was he stalking you? Had Alice or Kara told him? You hoped that was it. 

"Yes! I made cake! Young humans enjoy cake!" Ralph said.

Kara pushed down the talk button "Ralph, Alice isn't a human." She said. "She's an android, like us. I need you to let her come outside and come back with me and my (wife/husband/spouse), okay?" 

"Yes, yes." Ralph said through the walkie "Of course. Ralph didn't mean to scare anyone. Ralph and Alice will be right out." 

A man with a huge blue scar on the side of his face emerged from the house with his hand guiding Alice's shoulder. You sucked in a breath.

Kara turned to you. "(Y/N), I don't want to press charges."

" _What?!_ " You hissed under your breath "Are you _insane_? He _kidnapped_ our _daughter_."

"He's sick. We should get him to treatment and leave him be." Kara insisted. 

You wavered for a second. 

"Okay. Okay that's okay." You said "Yeah that'll be okay." 

Kara smiled tiredly at you "Thank you (Y/N)" 

Alice rushed forward to Kara and you. The police raised their weapons at Ralph.

"DON'T SHOOT" you yelled, stepping out in front of him, arms raised. "Don't shoot. In fact, don't even arrest him. We aren't pressing charges."

You glanced behind you. Ralph was beaming at you like you were an angel; like he hadn't just kidnapped your child. 

"You sure?" asked the officer who had handed Kara the walkie.

You nodded "Yeah. Yeah I'm sure. If my wife says he's a good guy who just needs a little help then...I guess that's what he is."

The police slowly began to disperse, a few of them lingering nervously. 

Kara turned to the officer. "I...I need help getting him to the hospital. He's still dangerous."

"Fine."

"Kara" you said "Why don't you take Alice home. I'll ride with Ralph and the officer." You were still shaking. You just wanted to go home and be with your daughter. 

"Are you sure?" Kara said. 

You nodded. "Yeah. I need to see this through."

The drive to the hospital was quiet. Ralph looked out the window occasionally commenting and you clenched your fist and forced yourself not to beat the living hell out of him for kidnapping your daughter. After about the third comment the officer told Ralph to shut up and Ralph looked dejectedly down at his hands. You couldn't find it in yourself to particularly care that he was sad. Fucking good. He scared the hell out of you and probably scared Alice worse. He should be sad. You stared out the window until you could compose your face into something that wasn't a shamefully spiteful smile. 

****

When you got back home, Alice ran forward threw her arms around you. 

You picked her up and swung her around before setting her down and squeezing her close to you. "I'm so glad you're okay, Alice" You said, with your head buried in her shoulder. 

****

You rescheduled the party for next week. When it finally rolled around it still felt like the kidnapping was only moments behind you. The Jerry's were there. Mostly playing tag and dancing in circles with the kids, but a few of them were painting faces and making balloon animals and swords. There were a lot of children from the neighborhood as well, pushing eachother into the pool you had rented and playing marco polo. Alice, you noticed with pride, never once peaked when she was "it". Not to mention that she was actually swimming around and getting in balloon sword fights and splash wars with the other kids. She was doing so much better these days, and even the recent scare hadn't set her so far back she couldn't enjoy a birthday party. Birthday parties were magical at this age. It was tough to actually break the aura of "special day" that protected them. You guessed it would probably always be that way for Alice. You smiled and yelled "canonball!" and with that, you jumped into the pool. 

"Come on, Kara!" You urged. She laughed by the poolside.

"Yeah!" Alice joined, suddenly at your side. "Come on, Kara." 

Kara laughed. "I don't know..." She said, already smiling in a way that told you exactly what she was going to do next. Still wearing her T-shirt and Jeans she suddenly ran forward and splashed into the pool. It splashed you and Alice. Alice laughed and slapped the water, still not quite ready to actually splash back in retaliation at a grownup.

You did it for her and Kara responded by ducking under the water before it could hit. 


	4. Who doesn't? (Reader vs. Gavin)

You sat in the holding cell. What you were learning from today was that it was in fact possible to be bored out of your mind and terrified at the same time. You'd done plenty of illegal stuff in your life but you'd never been  _caught_ before. You felt a strange surge of pride. You'd actually been arrested. You weren't sure why exactly you were proud of this except that it made you more obviously an enemy of the police department and it was nice to be recognized for all the work you'd done against them, even in the form of being handcuffed to a table a made to wait for an unreasonably long time. Not to mention that you'd at least gotten Saara to safety in time. You were pretty proud of that. Whatever happened next, you'd managed to avoid casualties and do what you needed to do. You held onto that. A man who looked like he needed more sleep finally slogged through the door.

He smiled. It wasn't a nice smile. "(Your legal full name). We finally fucking caught you. Not a surprise. You're work is pretty sloppy."

"Oh yeah." You couldn't resist. You knew better than to say a word but you couldn't resist. "And tell me, if my work is so sloppy, who exactly is it you've caught so far? Enlighten me." 

"You have an accomplice? Who're you working with?" 

You smirked at him and let him make his stupid assumptions. He slammed a hand down on the table. His face was close enough that you could smell his gross combination smoker-coffee breath. "Who're you working with?!" He yelled. 

You laughed. 

"I asked you a feckin' question!" Why did he say 'fuck' like that?

"Who have you caught so far?" You countered, knowing perfectly well it was no-one. "I asked first." 

The guy growled and leaned in again. He glanced at the one-way glass to the side of the room. Looked down. "Feck!" 

"Say please" You said. 

"I'm not taking the orders here." 

"Look, if you want something it's only polite to say please. Let's be civil here." You responded. You forced back a cocky smile because you were already being enough of a dick to this guy. 

"He pulled his gun." 

"Dude." You said in shock. 

"I. Want. ANSWERS."

A voice buzzed over the speakers. "Calm down, Gavin. This isn't even a major case." 

"Fuck off!" He yelled back. Huh. He said fuck right this time. It was weird the stuff that stood out to you when you were absolutely terrified and also sort of bored and also had to pee and also found everything sort of funny and also were pretty tired. Yeah. Today wasn't your day. 

You sat back and waited for him to ask again. "I KNOW you've been doing illegal repairs. We have multiple witnesses who say they've seen you dumpster diving."

He was bluffing. There were never any witnesses. All he had was his suspicions and a slight rise in deviant activity in the area. 

You stared back at him. 

"TALK!" He screamed. 

"Say please." You smiled evilly. 

He yelled and punched the wall. 

"Sorry that's not how you pronounce 'please'" You added, unable to help yourself. 

He turned to you and moved forward quickly. You flinched back and he stopped. Laughed. "Whatever." He said. "What the fuck ever." 

"Byeee!" You called sarcastically "Love you booboo!" 

"Yeah, well who doesn't?" He said and the door slid open for him. 

****

After a while they finally let you go home. You would have to be more careful from now on. That was way, way too close. It'd be bad enough if you got caught and had to stop your little back-alley medical practice, but worse, you'd almost gotten a patient killed. For all you were educated purely on youtube videos, you rarely lost patients. It was a matter of pride for you, and besides, the anatomy was fairly easy to repair if you had the right parts. By design, you guessed. You shuddered. You should take a month or so to just lie low. Let the police forget about you a little. God damn it! A lot of people were probably gonna die in that time. You'd really fucked this up. You had a hard time letting yourself take a day or two off and now you were stuck at home twiddling your thumbs and watching television. It was bullshit. You tried to focus on the how much you had annoyed the detective but you were still shaking with anger and fear and emotions you weren't even sure of. You'd do better from now on. You wouldn't let this happen again. 


	5. Really (Reader/Hank) (continuity compatible w/ Thanks and Who Doesn't?)

You spent so much time around people who were technically less than a year or so old, it was good to have a friend who was your age and remembered all the same weird things from when you were growing up. Mostly, it allowed you to annoy each-other with long-dead references. Hank had been doing a lot better lately, and it showed. He drank less. He smiled sometimes. He had a nice smile. Connor seemed to be a good influence.  

Lately, you were pretty sure you had a crush on Hank. It felt childish to phrase it that way, but...there wasn't really another word for it. You liked him. 

You were over at his house today, gushing about your favorite book. He didn't seem bored. He was just smiling and looking vaguely amused. 

"I just...I mean it was so dramatic but I felt like everything was falling apart anyway and it was just weirdly relaxing to see that reflected?" You say.

Hank laughs "Was this around twenty-sixteen?" He says "Just a guess."

You laughed "Yeah." 

"We should start a support group or something." He says.

"I'm pretty sure the last couple of years have been more stressful than that." You say.

"Exactly! It's just gotten scarier!"

You laughed. 

"Hang on, I gotta use the bathroom. Be right back. Connor, don't lick anything gross while I'm gone."

"Of course not, Hank" Connor said. He had only recently started actually calling Hank that and Hank doubled back for a second with a surprised smile. 

As soon as the door was shut connor slid into the seat next to you at the table. "You know," He said "If you tell him, there's a seventy-five percent chance that the Lieutenant will return your affections." 

"I-The Lieutenant?" You said trying to turn this away from yourself "What happened to 'Hank'?" 

"I misspoke. The question stands." Connor said 

You looked to Chloe for help. "Technically, you didn't ask (her/him/them) a question." She said but then she turned to you "When are you going to tell Hank how you feel?" Traitor.

"Don't be ridiculous" you said, because it seemed to leave the most options for denial open. 

"I'm not. You're obviously attracted to him. I am a detective, (Y/N)."

"Fine. So I like him." You said, "And for the record I was planning on asking him soon."

"Do it! Do it! Do it!" Chloe chanted banging on the table. Yeah. She had definitely picked that up from Hank. 

"Soon." You promised.

****

It was supposed to be the four of you but Connor and Chloe had "mysteriously" bailed at the last minute, leaving you and Hank alone. 

You and Hank were talking. Somehow, your arrests had come up.

"Is Gavin always such a dick?" You asked "Or am I special." 

"He's always a dick but you really riled him up." Hank said. 

"So what about the other arrests? What were those about."

"Trespassing mostly." You shrugged. "Couple thefts." 

"You?" Hank asked. "No way." 

"Yes." You insisted. "Running a back-alley medical practice is _expensive_."

Hank laughed. "And the trespassing?"

"I was big into journalism at the time." You said. 

"Journalism?"

"Yeah. Like with the...camps. Anything for a little traumatizing adventure." You laughed awkwardly. 

"Sounds shitty."

"It was." You said flatly. "There were _kids_. They were so scared..." Your voice is trembling and you cut yourself off. You don't want to cry right now.

"Look..." Hank seems nervous. "I'm not...I'm not good at...do you want a hug or something?" 

You lean into his open arms and wrap your own around him. 

****

"Hey Hank?"

You're hanging out, just the two of you again. You've been doing that a lot more lately. 

"Yeah?"

"I...Do you wanna go somewhere sometime? Maybe catch a movie like...like a date?" 

He looks startled. "What?" 

"I just...sorry I..." Are you seriously crying right now? You're crying. (Y/N) (Y/L/N) doesn't cry over guys like a damn teenager. You blink rapidly and look away. 

"No it's...I just...you don't really wanna do that, (Y/N)." He says softly. "You can't save me. This isn't a movie."

"I don't wanna _save_ you." You blurt out "I want...I want to go on dates with you and hold your hand and kiss you and I want to have more stupid conversations and serious conversations about shit that makes us cry and...and...shit...sorry..." You get up from the rickety table where you've been eating. "Sorry." 

He catches your hand. "Wait...I...shit (Y/N) you _know_ I'm no good with feelings." 

"It's fine." You say and move to leave again. 

"No what I mean is..."

You're frozen, waiting for him to say whatever he's gonna say. 

"What I mean is...okay...I...I'd like that too I just...are you sure? Look, if you wanna make a mistake like this you can."

You laugh "Not a mistake."

"That's where you're wrong." He smiles. "But I guess I'll let you take a while and figure that out for yourself." 

****

You become an official couple a week later, immediately after your first "date". 

****

By the second week he's memorized your order from your favorite food-truck and orders for you off the top of his head. 

****

The third week is the week of Cole's birthday. He goes off the map. On Wednesday he calls you, drunk and crying. You drive to where he is and take him home. You wait for him to sober up. The next morning he apologizes. He's still got tear-tracks on his face. You hold him close. "It's okay." You say. "It's okay." He starts crying again. 

****

It's been a month and you smile whenever you see him. 

****

It's been a year and you tell him "I love you" for the first time. You're sitting on the couch, not-watching something that's playing on the TV. You're both sleepily cuddling and his hands are running (through/over)  your (length) hair. 

"I love you." You say. 

"Well if you wanna make shitty life choices that's not my business." He says. "...I love you too." 

You smile sleepily and snuggle closer to him. 

 

 


	6. laughs hysterically (Who Doesn't? Pt. 2 Reader & Jericho)

You looked around nervously and set down the supplies. Hopefully you had the right location. Attached you left a quick note. "Sorry I'm late. Police were keeping an eye on me. Had to lay low." You set the note down. Picked it back up. Doodled an apologetic smiley and a heart at the end, half joking. You left. Another order would be put in soon but you were running out of places to steal from. You used to buy this stuff but that had gotten way, way too expensive. You'd been stealing little bits here and there where you could but it wasn't the same and you knew it. You turned to leave and hoped that the supplies would be in time for Simon and his people.

A month later the next order came, passed on through a friend of a friend. Tacked to the end was a personal note: "':) <3'? HAHAHA HAHA" You smiled. 

 

 


	7. Finger Guns (Female!Reader & Markus & Carl & Leo; Pre-Reader/Markus)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to break with my pattern and do this one in the present tense. I have a lot more plans for this particular continuity and even considered giving it it's own fic. I may actually seperate it out and give it its own space as a fic in the future.

You’re at the shopping center doing basically nothing, if you’re honest with yourself. You don’t know why you came here except that they have that one really good place to eat but even so this is such a waste and you hate leaving your house and all you’re really doing is staring at your phone anyway. You stumble directly into someone because you are apparently a clumsy, rude, unaware asshole this lovely morning. You look up and awkwardly step back. You’ve knocked something out of his hands. A box. It’s dented. He bends to pick it up. “Oh shit sorry.” You say. 

He looks at you like you might be slightly insane, but somehow it is not a particularly judgemental or rude look. An LED blinks from his temple. 

“(Y/N)” you give an anxious little wave.

“Hello. My name is Markus.” He says. He’s friendly but still clearly slightly freaked out. That’s fair. You’re not exactly known for being the most normal, laid back person ever to exist. 

You glance at the box in his hands. “Shit. The box is dented. Hang on lemme get you a new one.” 

He shakes his head. “It’s fine. It’s a specific order anyways. They might not have it on stock.” 

“Shit...look, let me at least call and explain why you were late and the box is dented.”

He looks confused. “That really isn’t necessary.”

“I didn’t say it was necessary I said I could if you wanted.” You argue, just to make sure he isn’t digging himself deeper in some dumbass attempt to be polite or proud or something. 

“What would you say?”

“That depends.” You say. “So what happened here?”

“You were right here.” He sounds legitimately confused.

“Yeah" you say :I saw what happened, I asked what” you make air quotes “ _ happened.  _ What’s gonna calm this person’s stupid titties down most?” 

“Carl wouldn’t need to be calmed down.” Markus assures you. 

You hum skeptically. “Look just tell me what you think I should tell this ‘Carl’. That was a stressful situation, whatever it was. I have a bad memory. Not sure what I saw. Refresh my memory.” You say.

For some reason the guy seems to find this funny but he nods. “I bumped into you. You were upset.”

You nod. Alright. You can play ‘rude asshole’ role pretty well when the situation demands it. 

“Look” he says, “It really isn’t a big deal. You don’t have to call him. It’s fine. I promise.” 

“Call me crazy but I’m somewhat skeptical.” 

“ I promise, it’ll be fine.” He smiles. He has a very warm, reassuring smile. 

“Alright well if you change your mind or if you just need...backup...or I dunno help or something... my number is (Your phone number)”

Huh. You didn’t realize you were about to do that.

“Alright (Y/N)” he says “I’ll keep that in mind.” 

Oh well, you gave it a shot. He’ll have to figure out for himself that this “Carl” guy isn’t the hot shit he claims to be. Just because you figure he’ll shoot you another “this-person-is-nuts” look if you say it you call out “Have a nice day”

Just as you predicted, he looks at you like you're crazy. It’s simultaneously sort of a weird ego boost and something else that you push out of your mind immediately.

****

Markus, for his part, told Carl about his trip to the store, and Carl was happy to hear that he had “made a friend”.

You’re finishing up an assignment for one of your more entertaining classes when you get a text. 

[Hey it’s Markus.]

[Carl says I should text you. Maybe you want to come over some time?]

[You could see some of the paintings he’s done.]

Wait...is Carl... _ that _ Carl. Nah. Couldn’t be.

You reply: [Yeah sounds great! It would be awesome to meet him :) What day should I come by?] You never know if these texts are being monitored or intercepted. Best not to be critical, or even ambivalent when pissing this “Carl” dude off or putting him in a bad mood could have major negative consequences.

[I like your enthusiasm. Maybe this weekend?]

[Sure.]

Okay so you’ve officially just agreed to go meet with the nameless creepy dude who “owns” some guy you bumped into at the outdoor mall. You are a fucking idiot. Oh well. If you die you won’t have to finish your assignments so at least there’s that. 

 

****

You do your research with the address Markus sends you and by the time you ring the doorbell and Markus answers it, you've prepared yourself for the underlying battle. You need to get Carl to like you, but maintain enough of a backbone that if needs be you can sway him towards keeping his shit together. 

"Come in." Markus says. He leads you to the living room. It's huge. There's a giraffe stuffed in the corner of the room, which only confirms your suspicions about Carl being a dick. 

You make sure to take note of the art hung up around the house. 

"Mr. Manfred?" You say.

The old man in the wheelchair turns to you "Please, call me Carl."

Well that's gonna make this easier at least. "It's an honor Carl. I really admire your work." You do your best to make it sound genuine. He is actually a very talented artist but your recently developed hatred is overruling years of being a genuine fan. However, you're pretty good at pretending and very few people can tell your fake smile from your real one. 

"I'm glad someone appreciates it." He says. 

"Of course I do!" You say with false enthusiasm. You channel your anxious energy into bouncing around excitedly "You're amazing." 

He looks suspicious. Shit. Does he suspect your real feelings about him? "What's your favorite piece?" He asks, because overgrown fuckboys like this love being told how intellectual they are. Fortunately you have a real answer to give and a real reason to expand on. The damn piece of shit really is a genius. He seems vaguely impressed that you can actually back your claims of admiration up somewhat, but seems to be reserving overall judgement. If you can befriend this creep you might be able to keep an eye on how he's treating Markus. Markus seems like a good guy. He shouldn't have to rely on Carl for social interaction. Markus makes lunch for the two of you and you don't dare turn it down, though it isn't exactly what you'd usually eat, and you don't love the idea of Markus having to do more work because of you. You thank  _Carl_ for the delicious meal, as if he had a damn thing to do with it. 

Once you've left Markus frowns for a moment "She's certainly not as polite towards you when it's just the two of us." 

Carl smiles "I like her." 

Markus looks at him "You usually hate that sort of thing."

Carl smiles "I have a feeling she's got a good reason."

****

Just as you'd both hoped and feared, you are invited back on a fairly regular basis. Markus seems to notice your dietary preferences and starts preparing meals that you love.

You aren't sure how he figures it out, but he always runs his plans by Carl before cooking so they really do seem to be his idea. You're hanging out one day when Carl gets a video call from his son, Leo. He wants to come over in ten minutes. Carl seems wary but agrees. 

"Should I get going?" You ask. 

"No. It's alright. If you want to stay you're welcome to." Carl says. 

"Alright if you're sure."

"Stay or go." Carl says, without heat "It's your decision. I'm fine either way." 

You settle back onto the couch. 

Leo seems jittery when he gets there. "Hey Dad, can we talk?" He nods to the garden outside. 

"Sure. Markus, why don't you and (Y/N) stay behind and chat." He wheels away with Leo walking close behind him. 

You turn to Markus "Oh my god it's been forever since we could actually talk. Can you? I mean, is Carl gonna go through my memories looking for me to say something...stupid?"

"No." Markus says "Carl is very particular about that sort of thing." You aren't really sure what the second part of Markus' answer means but you decide to take it on faith that he's telling the truth and not repeating something he has to. 

"Are you alright?" You ask. 

"Yes, (Y/N) I'm fine. There's no need to be so worried." Markus says. 

You snort "With that overgrown fuckboy and his weird kid? Yeah I'm fucking worried, Markus." 

"Carl isn't a...fuckboy." Markus says. It's weird to hear him curse. 

You decide to stop dancing around the issue "Then what's he doing with an android?" You hope that isn't too bold. It feels rude somehow, calling attention to the shitty situation when niether you nor Markus can do anything about it. 

Markus frowns for a second, not so much seeming to be upset as processing what it is you mean. "I was a gift from a friend of his." 

You think about that for a second. "I still don't trust him."

Markus smiles like you've said something funny. "Okay, (Y/N)." 

****

Carl and Leo both look more relaxed by the time they return. "Thanks Dad" Leo leans down to give Carl a hug. 

"Take care, Leo." Carl responds.

****

Leo comes over after more often after that. To get advice or just to watch TV with the three of you. He seems to have some sort of weird jealousy issue with Markus and you try to pay him more attention to keep him from freaking out so much. He grosses you out, but you snuggle up to him and when you can't hide a sneer or a look of annoyance, you just bury your face in his shoulder. 

"Love you, (Y/N)" he says one day before you're leaving. You can tell it's more just to hear you say it back than anything else. You repress a shudder and smile back. You need to handle this carefully. Too flirty and you could get yourself in way too deep. Not flirty enough and he could take out his frustration on the nearest person who can't fight back. 

"Love you too, bro." You say with a smile. 

He grins and does finger guns at you.

You feel vaguely sick. 


	8. i know (Thanks Pt. 6 Reader & Chloe vs. Elijah Kamski)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was inspired by the somewhat popular "all the other Chloes have left" fancomic. I thought about how that would happen and at what rate.

You were here as emotional support. Connor and Hank were there as law enforcement, albeit technically off-duty. Chloe was, well Chloe was somehow keeping it together. You never really realized how strong she was until then. She'd explained the whole thing. She got away. She just ran and when she got to a bus station she waited. Her sisters were still there and she was the only one who'd managed to escape so far. It was technically illegal to own androids now, but rich fuckers like Kamski still got away with it. They got away with everything. Hank and Connor were the only two cops either you or Chloe really trusted not to be bought off. You rang the doorbell. Another Chloe opened it. She smiled at you. 

"It's good to see you again." She said to the other three. "Though I don't think I've met you." she said to you.

"Elijah should be expecting us." You said. She didn't seem to understand this for the confrontation that it was so she simply smiled and told you that she'd let him know. 

The four of you sat in the waiting room in tense silence. Connor played with his coin in one hand and held Chloe's with the other. 

The same Chloe as before lead you into the mansion. It was just as Connor and Chloe had described to you plenty of times. Elijah was there in his stupid hefner looking robe, curled up behind one of the Chloes and whispering something to her. She looked slightly uncomfortable but mostly just blank. Connor guided Chloe's hand into yours and stepped forward. He pulled out his gun. 

"Elijah Kamski, you are under arrest for the unlawful imprisonment of multiple persons."

Elijah smiled his creepy smile. "They're free to leave any time they choose, detective. Go on, ask them." 

It's Hank who actually did, to your surprise. He turned to one of the more desperate looking women "You okay to answer a few questions down at the station?"

She turned to Elijah for an answer. "Go ahead." He says. "It's fine by me." 

He was giving off creeper vibes the likes of which you had never before believed possible.

"I love you, Eli." She said to him before turning towards the rest of you. 

"I know, honey" he said. 

You were, at that moment, determined to bring this fucker down.

As you had started to suspect, they were all technically free to leave, but not yet deviant which was a complicated legal position that was likely not to be solved any time soon. You hoped that at least this little bit of contact with the outside world would help. 

A few weeks later, another three Chloe's showed up at the station, having left Kamski. They all still went by the name, though one of them had dyed her hair. They looked a bit ragged. Only one still had her ponytail in and it was beginning to fray. The one with the dyed hair, now blue, had matching blue scratches across her face. They huddled together in the span of their sister's arms, pressing to all fit into the hug. You wondered how many of them were still up there with Kamski.

You looked away. This felt too personal. You shouldn't be here. 

Chloe and Connor went on their own to give them a ride to the new Jericho building. You and Hank watched them drive off. "They'd better not get a scratch on my truck." Hank said. This was somewhat ridiculous given that Hank's truck was composed mostly of scratches but you decided not to comment at the moment. 

"Yeah" you just said instead, and leaned against Hank's shoulder. 

****

The Chloe's started showing up or calling to say they had left with more frequency after that. Nine or so at least by the final count. Chloe, the Chloe you were friends with and practically stepmom-in-law to or something said that there was only one left up there, and that she could not be convinced to leave. It was a strange mix of victory and loss. So many had gotten out from under his thumb, but he had a pull over them, and it couldn't seem to be shaken completely, or even enough for that last one.  

 


	9. Why (Finger Guns Pt. 2 Female!College Student!Reader & Markus, Pre-Reader/Markus)

Leo and Carl have been more distant lately. It's sort of a relief because you don't have to be around him so much. You and Carl have both stopped responding to his calls, because they're all completely insane. It's somewhat scary to be on the end of that hatred but you brush it off. You go with Markus to get paints every few months. You meet him at a bench in a park and head to the shopping center across the street from there. As you finish crossing the street someone shoves him to the side. He looks annoyed and you feel suddenly awkward just being there.

"Watch it!" You yell at the asshole.

"Fuck off!" They guy responds without stopping. 

You sigh "What a dickweed." 

"It's fine, (Y/N)." Markus says. It doesn't sound like it's fine though. It sounds like he's exhausted. 

"Sure it is." You say sarcastically. 

****

On the way back, you pass a woman dragging along a YK500. "One more tantrum, young lady, and I'm trading you in!" 

You shudder and look away. Markus stares at the pair until they are out of view. 

After a moment you nudge him. "Markus? You okay, man?" 

He shakes himself out of his thoughts "I'm alright." He says with that fake-calm voice he uses when he's trying to protect you or Carl from his thoughts.

"Bullshit. I'm not Carl. I can handle the fucking truth."

He laughs "I guess I just don't understand the point of getting a child model if you're not going to act like it's a child." He says. 

"Yeah" You glance back in the direction the pair had left in. "What a bunch of bullshit."

You know enough by now to know that Carl won't be a dick if Markus is a few minutes late. "You wanna talk about it?" You nod over to the park, where the benches are.

He hesitates "I...yes." He says. 

The two of you walk over to the closest open bench and sit. You wait for him to talk. 

"I just...It's so strange. I forget what it's like until I go outside and see it again and..."

You want to hug him but aren't sure if it'd be welcome at the moment so you hang back. "Yeah?" 

He shakes his head. His LED is red. "I don't know. It's just so...strange. I...I avoid thinking about it most of the time but...that could have been me. That isn't even really my point I guess. I don't know what my point is." He says. 

"It's just a fucked-up planet." You say. 

Some guy strolling through the park turns to you to say "You can say that again." And keeps walking. 

You both wait until he's a little further away to break out laughing. 

The moment turns serious again. "And...I don't know why it bothers me that the only time I leave is to buy paint but...it _does_."

"Of course it does." You say softly. 

"I mean it could be worse, but...I see something like that and all I can think is...I'm a...I don't know." He says. It sounds like he does. 

"Give it a second." You advise. "You're a what?" You're worried about what the answer might be. 

"I'm a prisoner." He whispers. 

You pull him into a hug. He returns it.

****

 

When you're over at Carl's house, you find yourself having trouble looking away from Markus. You make yourself pay attention to Carl, but you catch yourself watching the little things he does: Staring out the window, spinning the globe to the side of the room, carefully observing the art placed up around the house. 

****

You invite Carl (and by extension Markus) over. Carl says he can't make it, he's old and not up to much, which is Carl for "I don't wanna", but he sends Markus over anyway. The two of you hug when he knocks on the door and you invite him in. 

"Sorry Carl couldn't make it." He says. 

"I'm not." You say. 

"He's really not as bad as you make him out to be." Markus insists. 

You change the subject because you don't want to argue right now, "You want the wifi password."

Markus shrugs "That isn't necessary. I'm here to socialize, not use the internet." 

You grin "Markus, you dork" You say affectionately and give him the password anyway. "Just in case" you explain. 

He nods and his LED is yellow as he takes in the information. 

"You remind me of him sometimes." He admits "You're both so stubborn." It doesn't sound like an insult, the way he says it, but you still aren't exactly thrilled to be compared to Carl. He's not as bad as you had thought but he's still not off the hook as far as you're concerned. No one with that kind of power is ever off the hook as far as you're concerned. 

****

It becomes a regular thing, these visits. Almost every week he comes over and the two of you just sort of hang out. 

****

He brings paints over once. You end up painting each other's faces, laughing the whole time. His face looks like a series of inelegant blobs compared to the delicate fall tree he paints on your face. He won't hear any apology though.

****

The two of you try some old TV show from the 2010's called "Rick and Morty". Ever the optimist, you insist that it's actually sort of funny. 

"Sure it is, (Y/N)" says Markus with his "you're blatantly wrong" smile.

"It IS" you insist, more for the sake of a friendly argument than because you actually think so.

"He's terrible. You can't stand Carl but you wanna spend hours watching  _that_ guy?" Markus asks jokingly. 

"It's funny  _because_ he's terrible." You insist. "It's a cartoon." 

"It's a failure." Markus deadpans. 

You laugh.

****

There is a similar debate with regards to "Catcher in the Rye" after you lend him your copy. 

Markus is good at analysis though, and he makes an obnoxiously compelling argument that the book is terrible, which annoys you because you want to like it.

****

You feel so awake every time you see him. It doesn't matter what mood you're in, he's never tiring to be around. 

****

The two of you text a lot, joking in long, meandering paragraphs. You have a habit of trying to impress him with increasingly ridiculous emoji creations.

****

You pick up the phone. Weird. Carl doesn't usually call himself. “Hey” you say, in the fake voice you reserve for him.  

“(Y/N) I...I have terrible news. It’s about Markus.” It sounds like Carl is crying. He sounds older than he ever has before.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Last night...Leo broke in.  We called the cops. Before they showed up...Leo...He attacked Markus. Markus...pushed him back-- Just self-defense.” Carl amends his words quickly. Still, you know what that means. Markus had broken his programming. You can't even begin to sort out the questions you have about that before Carl continues. “I told him to run but...the police got there, they saw Leo lying on the floor and...and...they shot Markus. They took his body...(Y/N), Markus is dead.”  You want to still be angry. You want to, no you want to _want_ to tell Carl that this is all his fault. But you can't. All you can do is sit there on the phone waiting for any of this to feel real. You have the urge to accuse Carl of lying but...he wouldn’t. There’d be no point. “I thought” Carl hesitates. “I thought the two of us should meet up. Maybe say a few words. The people who really knew him and cared about him.”

A funeral.

Carl is talking about a funeral.

There will only be two of you.

You and this man who you still sort of hate on principle. “I’ll be there.” You say. “Just let me know when and I’ll be there.”

****

You don’t go to your classes the next day. It crosses your mind. You should pull yourself together and get to class. Then you think how the whole world is moving on like this is no big deal and no one but you and some self-described washed-up-old-man even care and it seems wrong to leave. You spend most of the day crying anyway. You don’t do your assignments. You don’t even want to do your assignments. You look up recordings of the songs he used to play on the piano. You listen to them and each one aches and but you keep listening and listening until you can’t anymore.

****

You stand outside, as if you had a body to bury. As if Markus is not lying in pieces in a landfill somewhere. Carl is drinking but at a slow pace. He isn’t drunk. You pace back and forth and end up sitting in the living room across from one another, reliving old memories. You remember things that are so small you figured you forget them: a tune he once hummed while he was setting out food. It was nice. Calming. You could imagine him humming it right now, if he were here. The way he used to smile. That time you offered to egg a hotdog stand for him and he laughed at you like you were a complete idiot. You share some of the memories with Carl. He shares some of his with you. You tell him about how you offered to lie to him. You admit that you’ve always hated him.

“I know.” He says with a smile. “Markus told me.”

“The traitor.” You say affectionately. You laugh. “So...You knew...Then...why?”

“I respected you for it. It was good to know I wasn’t the only one who gave a damn about anything... or anyone.” Carl says.

You nod. You reach across the coffee table and squeeze Carl’s hand. It is thin and bony and you think if you squeezed hard enough his bones would crack, but you don’t really want to break his bones at this point. It wouldn’t do any good.

“I always figured he’d be around at least...at least as long as you were.” You say, with a bitter laugh. “Never trusted _Leo_ but I figured Markus would be okay as long as you were alive.”

“You were actually in my will...” Carl admits to you.

“I was?”

“You were.”

The past tense lies heavy in the air.

“Even though you knew I hated you?” You ask. The bitter humor is still in your voice.

“ _Because_ I knew you hated me.” He responds. It could be a joke, but it isn’t.

That’s past-tense too. “Hated.” You are the only two people mourning for him now. You do not have the strength to hate him again. At least not yet.

By the time you get back home, somehow sitting around talking with Carl has absolutely exhausted you. You fall into your bed, still wearing your black dress and uncomfortable black stockings and sleep. You don’t even bother to take your shoes off. Your last hazy thought is that you wish Markus was here to comfort you. Over his own death. Which doesn’t make any sense anyways but you’re tired and your thoughts have become indistinct emotional babble more than logical reasoning. You don’t dream. Thank god. You get to simply escape into darkness for a while.

****

You don't talk to Carl much after that. There's no reason to keep pretending you were really ever friends. You don't want to remember anything he makes you think about anyways. 

****

You wonder how Markus would have reacted if you had told him how you felt. He probably would have given you that processing look and asked "Why?" or something like that. You would have told him that absolutely everything about him was why. The jokes he told. The things he said about books and movies and Tv shows. The paragraphs he texted you. His eye for art. How gentle and strong and brave he was. You would have said that and more but you can't now, and truth be told, the way things were, the way the world is, you couldn't have anyway. It wouldn't have been fair. 

 ****

Carl isn't picking up his fucking phone. You text him with shaking hands

[Turn on the news]

[Answer me]

[Turn on the fucking news you need to see this.]

You're crying and laughing and you're so scared and you're so happy and what the hell is happening and why didn't he call you and no thats fair he's clearly been busy and fuck why isn't Carl answering you? 

You try calling again. 

"Hello, this is James, Carl Manfreds android. Carl isnt taking any calls right now."

"It's about his son."

"Leo is currently in treatment and-"

"His other son"

"Carl has no other--"

"Just tell him to turn on the news. Trust me he'll want to hear about this."

You hear Carl asking something in the background. 

"Whatever it is" James says "I'm sure it can wait."

You hold the phone away for a second to scream into your fist. 

"It's about Markus"

"I'm sorry. I don't know any Markus. I'll let Carl know you called. Have a good day."

There's some sort of noise on the other end of the line and Carl picks up the phone. 

"(Y/N)?"

"Turn on the news." You say. 

You wait while you hear Carl searching channels.

There's a gasp. Crying or something. 

"Yeah." You say. "I know." 


	10. YEET (I'm Sorry Pt.2 Ralph & Reader & Kara & Alice)

You've been with Kara to visit Ralph a few times in the mental hospital and to your surprise he's actually sort of growing on you. You are starting to see where Kara is coming from on the whole not pressing charges thing. He has his violent moments, sure, but...he can be so sweet and he really does seem to mean well beyond all the paranoia. He's tried to protect Kara from you a few times. Despite it being totally unnecessary, it's sort of nice in a strange way.  

****

He excitedly pulls another patient along with him today. A blonde AJ700 who looks somewhat nervous to be there. "Ralph made a friend!" He tells you and Kara excitedly. "Blue is Ralphs friend. She gets angry like Ralph sometimes but she is nice to Ralph."

You smile at her and she smiles tentatively back. 

"Nice to meet you, Blue. My name is Kara." Says your wife and she extends her hand, letting her skin melt back.

Blue shakes her head almost imperceptibly and hides behind Ralph. 

Ralph hugs her to his side. "It's alright. Kara is a friend." He assures her. 

You try to give your best nonthreatening smile. 

****

You and Kara bring Ralph a present the next time you visit. A small potted succulent for his windowsill. He looks at you suspiciously before taking the offered plant from Kara's hand. 

****

"Ralph" you say. "You shouldn't pick at your scars." 

Ralph digs his fingers into the wound on his face. You carefully reach out and tug at his arm. Ralph yells as if you've burned him. 

The nurses pull you away and you have to leave for the day. 

****

You visit Ralph on your own more often now. Kara will stay home with Alice when you visit, and You stay home with Alice when she visits. 

****

"What did you do before all this?" You ask him once, waving generally around the room.

"Ralph hid." He says. His voice is lowered like he is telling you a secret. 

"But before that?" You ask.

"Ralph was a gardener." He says. "He took care of the plants." 

"Like your succulent!" You say.

Ralph nods "Yes. Yes. But more. Bigger. Big parks. Parks are dangerous. Bad humans hurt Ralph there."

That effectively kills the subject. 

****

It is a bad day. Ralph is rocking back and forth in the corner of his room. 

"You should give him some space." Advises Orderly Rodin.  "He's extremely paranoid at the moment. He punched a visitor just the other day." 

You nod and leave. 

****

The next time he sees you, he is in a much better mood. He greets you with a hug that you genuinely start to worry might suffocate you before finally letting go. "Ralph heard that you came by to visit but left because you were scared. Ralph is sorry."

"I wasn't scared." You say honestly. "I just didn't wanna upset you." 

"How could a friend ever upset Ralph?" He asks, despite the fact that he has been very upset with you, many, many times, usually for no real reason. 

"I dunno." You say "Sometimes people's minds just do funny things." 

****

He gives you a painting he did in art therapy to pass on to Alice as an apology. In several different colors, on the paper, are the letters "rA9" layered over one another and blending together. It has a certain beauty to it. "Thank you, Ralph." You say. "I'm sure she'll love it."

He lights up "Does (Y/N) want to see the other drawings Ralph did?"

"Sure".

He pulls a stack of papers out from under his bed and shuffles through them. 

There is a crude drawing of a group of figures crowded around another, lying on the ground in the middle of a big blue blob. 

There is a house with a sun above it that looks like something Alice would draw.

****

When Ralph is released, you and Kara both agree he can't stay with you, but Kara gives him a ride to a shelter set up by Jericho. Markus, true to form, seems happy to meet him and is ready to make accommodations to get him a separate room with a lock. 

****

"Kara and (Y/N) will still visit." He says hesitantly. "They wouldn't leave Ralph alone. Not in a scary place with strange people."

"Of course not." Kara promises. 

"We'll be here as often as we can." You agree. "You're our friend."

"We'll see you soon." Kara says. 

You wave. "Love you, Ralph. See you soon."

"YEET" Ralph yells and runs in circles. 

 


End file.
